President's Day Sale! :D Mayhem in Mexico: Zombie Infestation

Hey *waves*

I'm a lover of zombies. I got into The Walking Dead before I ever saw the show. My friends were all fans, and I loved what I heard. Plus, Norman Reedus, Michael Rooker? Nuf said. I wrote a long ass zombie action story. I had to redo it. Ever try to change something from first person present tense, to first person past tense? Yeah. No fun. Took me hours and hours and the help of quite a few friends. I'm not stupid by any means, but I couldn't see the forest for the trees, if you know what I mean.

Then, when I finally got finished with that, I had become published under the paranormal romance genre (Yay! The Ulfric's Mate, the start of a destiny I never imagined!). I submitted it to my friend's brand new publishing house, Just Ink. She said to rewrite it. Well, life happened. I had contracts already for three stories (Rick Sexed Up the Doc, The Captain's Christmas, and a short in an anthology, as well working on The Ulfric's Mate, and my short in Ravaged Vol 1, which had just released.) or I don't know what would have happened. I already have spoken of the highlights (or lowlights :P) here, but of course, those are just the tip of the iceberg.

Finally, finally, I finished my long zombie urban sci-fi action book rewrite. I sent it off and yay! Acceptance. *dances* 


I finally got to watch The Walking Dead (loved it like I knew I would! :D), still love all my zombie friends, and now have two books out with zombies!!!! The 88k one, which is titled, Mayhem in Mexico: Zombie Infestation, is going on sale for President's Day!! You want action and zombies for 99 cents? Get on board!

Ready for a little taste? Here's an excerpt:

I turned back to encounter the brightest blue eyes I’d ever seen in person. I smiled wide, startling the other woman. Infected. Definitely Infected. The eyes of those with the Ultimate form of the Zombie Virus became luminescent. Not innocent and collaborating in the torture of an FBI agent. If I had to shoot her, it wouldn’t be collateral damage. Now the only person I had to worry about accidentally killing was Agent Connelly. I liked things easy. In. Kill. Out.

I looked down and scuffed a foot against the stained concrete. Nonchalantly the toe of my boot landed on the door jam. It brought me closer to the woman. “His name is Joseph.” Head lowered shyly so it appeared I stared at my feet, I watched the woman through my eyelashes. I was tempted to shoot this gorgeous zombie in the gut. However, I needed to get more information before killing off the players, no matter how tempting I found it.

“You have the right place.” The woman smiled. “Come in, my dear.”

I smiled back. “What’s your name and why are you here?”

“I’m Andrea. You could say I work with Joseph.”

I could say a lot of things. That didn’t make it true. “Oh really?” I replied with a touch of feigned interest mixed with anger. “What kind of work requires a hotel room,” I added, a little—okay, a lot—facetiously. I stepped inside, working it so my back stayed by the doorjamb, hiding my Magnum.

Once my eyes adjusted from the glaring sunlight to the dim hotel light, I didn’t have to pretend shock. Joseph sat tied to a chair, his eyes swollen nearly shut, his hands tied behind his back.

“Joseph! You’re hurt, darling.” I kept up the sweet act with a tinge of anger. “Why don’t you take a shower? It’ll help immensely.”

A quick smile flashed across his dimpled face—which had to hurt—white teeth shining against his tanned skin. “As soon as our guests leave, darling. I don’t want to be rude.”

I turned to assess the other three in the room more closely, my back facing the wall as I made sure my ass kept the gun out of eyesight, . Two men and the woman. The men looked military. Crew cuts, at-ease stance, weapons at their sides holstered. Interesting. Unless I was mistaken, and it rarely happens, they were clean. No exposure, no immunity. Straight humans.

I almost felt sorry for them. Until I looked back at Joseph’s face. “I’m sorry.”

I adjusted my stance so Andrea stayed in direct eye contact with me. “My boyfriend needs a shower and medical attention. I don’t mean to be rude.” My voice dripped with sarcasm. “But can you do this work you never elaborated about later?” Whatever this thing was they were up to, I doubted they’d take me up on my offer. I mentally shrugged.

Andrea gave me an unpleasant smile. Her eyes were flat. “We don’t mind if he cleans up. However, we must get what we came for first. Such a long trip to make for nothing.”

“We’d hate to have you go away with nothing to show for it.” I jerked my .357 up and shot Andrea in the knee. The barrel of my gun shifted to the men. I stepped to the side, closer to them.

I had to hand it to them. Their weapons were out, but they waited. For what, I couldn’t be sure. Andrea shrieked once, yet motioned her men back.

“Our pussy cat has claws,” she said to Connelly before turning back to me. “You hit me in the knee on purpose?”

“Yes,” I said without an iota of inflection in my voice.

“Then I applaud both your self-control and choice of hits. If you were a man, I might suspect you shot me to distract the others. But I suspect you shot me because you deduced I’m the strongest. Who are you, really?”

“Really? I’m a writer. I believe you asked for me?” I added, making a guess.

The shock on Andrea’s face almost made the extra stress worth it. Almost.

  

Blurb:

Getting kidnapped by the FBI is pretty low on my list of things I want to do. It’s right up there with meeting terrorist groups and writing their side of the story. Why a successful novelist like me? Turns out I’m a scapegoat for someone with some serious health issues—they’ve contracted the zombie virus.
I’m a zombie killer, killing them as quickly as I can. But I’m only one woman. You’d think being an Immune was great, but no. Ever since the government purposely tried to infect me with the zombie virus, they watch me closely to see if I turn. Not happening.
The FBI wants me to accomplish something big two thousand miles from home. When I arrive in El Paso, Texas after my strenuous drive from Washington, my contact agent, Joseph Connelly, isn’t available. Being tortured by a zombie for two days is an excuse I can accept after saving his ass. These aren’t your Hollywood zombies; not right away. They never get sick, their IQ triples, and their sex appeal? Off the charts. Until they die and resurrect as true horror flick zombies, with brains. Trouble is, some of them have developed a taste for meat—human meat—before they die.
Problem with governments screwing around with our DNA is things never go as planned. When terrorists kidnap my kids, all bets are off, and Agent Connelly agrees. If we don’t save my kids and steal the antivirus without getting killed, the whole world is going to have a really bad day.




Also, something I should probably add to my official bio, I write under LJ for my action/non romance books. Though there is a bit of "romance" here, there is no sex (sorry to my romance fans! lol).

Muir Bhreatan ~ K. E. Shade

I have K. E. Shade today! She wrote a stunning ancient pirate story that will touch your heart and make you root hard for the hero. Pirates, ancient Irish Celts, hot blooded women, the high seas, what more could you possibly want! Ms. shade provides you with a ride you won't soon forget!

I asked her to do a guest blog and she has graciously said she will give away a copy of Muir Bhreatan to a lucky commenter. All commenters between now and February 20th, will get a chance! As a reminder, I assign numbers to all comments, put those numbers on post it notes, or other small paper, and have my kids draw them. That's as random as we get here folks. :)

Without further rambling about her awesomeness, here is our author for this week's Succulent Saturdays Stories.

Pirates.

I can't get enough of them. Even before Pirates of the Caribbean hit the big screen, I read books about them. Beyond Edward Teach, AKA Blackbeard, I got knowledge of the lesser known buccos sailing the seas. The lore of Chesapeake Bay was equally fascinating. I've been on a boat through there and just looking at all the nooks and crannies, I could see how the pirates in the Golden Age hid from the privateers and the British. But what about before then? When piracy almost went into obscurity?  The British Empire, much like the Romans, was spread across the globe. Not every citizen under their rule cared for it. So where to start?

I chose Ireland as the birthplace for my two pirate brothers. While they worked well together, they were polar opposites in personality. One had found the woman he wanted to be with the rest of his life. The other? Total man whore … or is he? That remains to be seen within the pages.

I struggled to finish this one, really. It wasn't until a trip overseas that I became inspired. Sailing through the Irish sea and St Georges Channel lit a fire in me. I pounded the keys and when I saw a group of islands in the middle of it all, my tale came to life. This certainly isn't the end of my pirate jaunts. It's not even my first. So look for more on the historical side. I'm not done weaving my yarns.

Blurb:

Liberators of gold from the British on the high seas, Aedan ó Loinsigh and his brother have never shied away from a challenge on the open waters. Aedan’s only tie to solid ground is the lovely Kaitlin who possesses him like no other. When the brothers are captured and awaiting execution, a mysterious man offers to free them if they pay off their debt aboard his ship. The brothers waste no time in agreeing to the proposal only to find their new lives are not much better than those of slaves. Desperate to reach Kaitlin again, Aedan must figure out a way to save not only the other indentured servants aboard the ship but get back to his true love. Salvation could come at a price. One that Aedan will have to live with for the rest of his life.

Add to your Goodreads list.

Purchase links:

Breathless Press

Where to find me:

Blog | Facebook | Goodreads

on Amazon

Cold Sweat ~ J.S. Marlo

As go through the winter Olympics, I find it fitting to do an extra feature and guest blog by an author whose book is built around the Olympics. Here is an interview with a character and the author...

ATHLETE - DANGER ZONE

With the Olympic games in full swing, have you ever wonder what it takes to be an athlete? Look at them. All of them. They are fast, they are accurate, they are synchronized, they are strong, they are skilled. They make their sport look so easy, almost painless, that we forget they have trained for decades—not days, not weeks, not months, but many, many years—to reach that level of performance. Yes, they are talented, but no athlete can climb to the top on talent alone. It takes determination, discipline, commitment, and sacrifices. I invited Hope, star of Cold Sweat, to share her life as a biathlete with us.

JSM: Welcome Hope. I'm glad you could take a break from your busy schedule to talk to me today.

Hope: I just finished a long ski practice in the trails and I'm not due to report for target shooting for another hour. Your timing works for me.

(Hope doesn't know yet that this interview will be the only thing that will work for her in the days to come…)

JSM: I'll try not to take too much of your time.  Would you start by telling us about yourself?

Hope: I'm seventeen, and in the weeks to come, I'll compete at the Olympic trials. It's been a long road to get there, a road paved with endless practices at the most ungodly times of the day…or night. When I started, I didn't know I would have to give up my weekends and my summer, or that having a social life meant chatting with my teammates in the weight room or that having a sleepover meant sleeping on a bus on my way to the mountains. My teammates are not only my friends, but they are also my fiercest competitors. If I want to make the American Olympic team, I need to finish in the top three. It'll be tough but I'm ready for the challenge.

(Unlike me, she's just a petite thing, but I suspect there's more muscle and determination hidden underneath her tight yellow suit than meets the eyes.)

JMS: You've been training at Snowy Tip in Montana for the last three months. How has it been so far?

Hope: Hard. (She flashes a cheeky smile in my direction.) Almost as hard as convincing my mother to let me come. She's a wonderful mom and she's always been my rock. Can you believe I was five years old when she showed me how to ski and shoot? Without her support, I would never have made it this far, but she wasn't too keen that I postponed my entrance to Princeton University and she doesn't like that my coach—he's an awesome coach—gave me permission to train alone at dawn without my hearing aid.

(I knew Hope was deaf from birth, but it never occurred to me that she practices alone in silence. While it explains how the kidnappers will be able to sneak up on her in the forest, I still don't understand how come such an awesome coach didn't notice her disappearance right away. Hope's mother is right to be worried.)

JSM: May I ask what your father thinks of your decision to train here?

(When a shadow crosses Hope's face, I suddenly remember what I'd read in the biography her coach posted on the Internet. Her father, a fighter pilot, had crashed before she was born.)

Hope: I don't know much about my dad. My mother doesn't like to talk about him. He's kind of an enigma.

(Someone's stomach growls, prompting me to end this interview before I ask another tactless question.)

JMS: Well, I'm sure every member of your family is very proud of you. I thank you very much for your time and I wish you luck in the weeks to come.

(Hope nods, and as she leaves, I can't help but remind her to be careful alone in the forest. Despite my warning, Hope Craig is kidnapped in Cold Sweat...)

Cold Sweat – Heart & Endurance Series by J.S. Marlo is available at www.BreathlessPress.com

Visit me on my website at www.sites.google.com/site/JSMarloAuthor

Happy reading!
J.S.

 

 

Cold Sweat blurb ~ 

Can they conquer the mountains and the past in time to save Hope?

*** 

Seventeen-year-old Hope Craig is deaf and training hard to make the biathlon Olympic Team. But when she is kidnapped from the groomed trails and taken into a remote cabin in the mountains, she must battle more than the elements to survive.

On the hunt for her daughter's abductor, Colonel Amelia Matheson enlists the help of Richmond Morgan, a local Sheriff who once hurt her. To find Hope, Sheriff Morgan and Colonel Matheson must untangle a web of secrets, including their own.

Using her wits and skills, Hope sets out to escape the mountains and save the man her mother had sent to rescue her—a man who is not who he appears to be.

 

 

 

 

A little about the author :)

J.S. Marlo spent her childhood in a small French Canadian town, reading and daydreaming stories. One day, she met her hero, a dashing young officer, and followed him back and forth across the country.

The "memorable" adventures she experienced with her young family fueled her imagination and kindled the dream of one day becoming a published author. It wasn't until after her three spirited children left the nest in pursuit of their own adventures, that J.S. finally gave writing a chance.

Her first two dozen stories were for her friends' eyes only. To her surprise and delight, they enjoyed them and rewarded her with their encouragement and support. J.S. kept writing, and learning, and writing…

She finally captured her dream with her first novel "Salvaged", and then carried on with her first series "Duty Bound": Unscripted–Book One, Unearthed–Book Two, and Untamed–Book Three. She's currently working on two new series: "Heart & Endurance" and "Digging through time". Cold Sweat of the Heart & Endurance Series is coming up in November 2013.

J.S. lives in northern Alberta with her wonderful hubby, and when she's not visiting her children and little granddoggie, she's writing in front of the fireplace.

You can visit her at www.sites.google.com/site/jsmarloauthor

 

Panthers and Precincts ~ Deadra Krieger

Hi :)

It's time again for my Succulent Saturday Stories and I have my good friend and editor here today under her other hat: author! Great start to a series that will warm your hearts. And by the way, I'm not letting her around my dog or cat. The stories they would tell. She makes me go outside and pee or poop. She kicks me off the couch when I'm stealing her food. She spanks me when I eat the kids food. I mean, come on, we all know the kid isn't going to eat his broccoli. She made me get away from the stove when she was cooking. Was even rude about it! I never! Yeah, we'll hide the pets when she's here...

I give you, Deadra :D

A Little Magic in Us All

During edits, I brought up the fact that Magic is based on a cat I had the pleasure of living with (because let's face it, you never truly own a cat) a few years ago. The cat, large and black, sported the name Xerxes and could talk. "Yeah, no, Mom, down, uh-oh, rain, tuna, turkey, bath, now, pill (treat), and Frrrost (the name of my other cat who was his best friend)" are the words I heard him say most frequently. I'm not sure why Xerxes could talk so well, much less in context. Perhaps it was due to my son going through in-home speech therapy and Xerxes listening to them? Maybe it was because as a Siamese and Egyptian Mau mix, he was one of the more vocal breeds?

It could be that, like my character Zeara, I'm an animal empath.

There, I said it. I let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. How does one know they are an animal empath? Well, I didn't. Not at first. I spent the first seven years of my life believing everyone could understand the animals in the same way I can. I learned their language the same as any toddler learns their natural language. I had great teachers. My mother's cat, Theodin who was old and wise at the age of 12. My father's German Shephard mix, Necron, who was enthusiastic and talked all the time. And then there was Pepi—a border collie who watched over me from the moment I was born and who taught me many things. The woods are full of coyotes who will kill and eat you. The road is made of things that will smash you to pieces and kill you. The abandoned chicken house is full of snakes that will bite you and make you sick. Pepi drove me crazy as a child. He wouldn't let me go anywhere or do anything. I distinctly remember wailing in my backyard at the age of four because, once again, Pepi drug me away from the edge of the woods by the seat of my pants.

Now you are probably asking how I am able to understand animals. It's not Doctor Doolittle where the animal opens their mouth and speaks human. I've always explained it like this: if you are fluent in a secondary language, do you mentally translate it to your native tongue when you read or listen to someone speaking the second language? That's what I do. Every ear perk, every chatter or growl, every tail lift or lower has meaning in the language of animals. I can tell from looking at a cat's pupils if it is excited and ready to play, or frightened. I can tell from a dog's bark if it is bluffing about the bite, or if it honestly means to follow through. Then there are the pictures and emotions. I could go on and on about it, but if you truly wish to learn what it's like to live through the eyes of an animal empath, then I can only suggest reading the Faxfire Series. Otherwise, I'd end up high jacking poor Leona's blog, and as much as I love her company, I don't want to be rude.

As is, thank you for having me, Leona. And remember, be aware of what you say or do around your animals. You have no idea the things they blab about when someone like me visits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous cover! BP covers really do stand out, don't they? Now, if you're wanting to get social with her, or buy her books, you can STALK her here:

 

 

Social links:

 

Website: dfkrieger.com

Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/D-F-Krieger/177107165643929

Faxfire Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FaxfireSeries

 

Buy Links:

Breathless Press: http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=13&products_id=531&zenid=0b5bb1524c39b159e630dcc39d90789b

ARe:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-panthersandprecinctsfaxfireseriesbook1-1405502-143.html



Decadent Kane on Succulent Saturday Stories

Today's Succulent Saturday Story is with Decadent Kane and her mischievous elves. I asked her to talk about her Series a little bit for it is more a collection of stories about a world with many facets. Here's what she had to say. (well, after a quick peek at her delicious cover.)

The trouble with elves series.

 

I wanted a line or catch phrase for a set of books I wanted to write. Not a set that would flow one from the other. More a catchy phrase to use for every standalone elf related paranormal romance book I wanted to write- I wanted it all to be under a 'series title'

Every book in this series is about elves.

Every book in this series includes some aspect of the elven realms.

The rest- well that’s where it's not so series related.

My trouble with elves basically gives me room to play with elf couples, to mingle in nearly any aspect I want as long as trouble and elves are involved.

You can pick up any of my books and go from there- you don't have to back track. The first one is about Christmas elves, the second one is about a goblin cursing an elf. The next one I wrote has pirate elves, after that bounty hunting elves.

See the last thing I want is for every story to have the same exact elements.

When you pick up a book in my series I want it to surprise you.

 

 

 

Here is the blurb:

 

Breaking a goblin's curse is more difficult than Clover thought. Especially when love and nightshade are crucial ingredients.

For two years, Clover has been at a goblin's beck and call. Two years of no orgasms. Until she heard a rumor the sage witch could help her break the goblin's curse. There's only a few minor details, like how would she find love on short notice and how deadly are nightshade berries?

Reed's life was simple—own a bar, walk to work, fight a little. He didn't expect to tangle with a wanton elfess who disappeared on him not once but twice. Let alone save her from a depraved goblin. He'd sworn off women like her for good, so why did he feel the need to protect her?

You can get the latest rendition in The Trouble With Elves world in multiple formats here.

 

 

Want to stalk follow her and learn a little more about her? Here's her bio.

 

 

Bio

If I had to describe myself, it would be in a word that has infinite meanings with a complexity which falls off the tongue.A word made up of many elements, is deceptive in appearance, and creates an illusion from the imagination. My word would be Phantasmagoric.

 

You can find Decadent Kane at:

FB : https://www.facebook.com/DecadentKane

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DecadentKane

Blog: http://decadentkane.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23398789-decadent-kane

Newsletter: https://www.facebook.com/DecadentKane/app_100265896690345